/**
 * Request a URL via XMLHttpRequest. Use this method to send a GET
 * request that does not expect to receive any sort of response
 *
 * @param url - the url to query via GET
 *
 * @void
 */
function getFromServer(url){
	var request = getXMLRequestObj();
	
	if(request){
		// debug - don't actually send to server
		//alert('server query: '+url);
		request.open("GET",url,true);
		request.send(null);
	}
}

/**
 * Construct the appropriate XMLHttp Object
 * based on the client browser
 *
 * @return the XMLHttp request object
 */
function getXMLRequestObj(){
	var req=null;

	// IE
	try{
		req=new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
	} 
	catch(exceptionA) {
		try {
			req=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
		} 
		catch(exceptionB) {
			req=null;
		}
	}

	// W3C
	if (!req && typeof XMLHttpRequest != "undefined"){
		req=new XMLHttpRequest();
	}
	return req;
}


/**
 * Gets the specified property fromt he XML object
 *
 * @param obj the XML object
 * @param prop the name of the property to obtain
 */
function getObjProperty(obj,prop) {
	if (obj.getElementsByTagName(prop)[0].firstChild)
		return obj.getElementsByTagName(prop)[0].firstChild.data;
	else
		return undefined;
}